Australian PC World articles from August 2005

Australian PC World archives from August 2005

Core changes: the Apple faithful will have to learn to like oranges, after the news of the upcoming "Macintel" PC. Intel and Apple have buried the hatchet and, in a light-hearted moment at the annoucement, Intel's Paul Otellini even ran an old Pentium-bashing Mac ad, garnering a few chuckles, and a hug from Steve Jobs!(Apple Computer Inc.)(Editorial)
August 1, 2005... This month Apple confirmed the rumours that it is dropping the IBM PowerPC line for Intel chips in its Macintosh computers. Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs shocked the Mac faithful with the revelation, at its WWDC (Worldwide Developer...

Broadband to the masses.(READERS' FORUM)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... I am just writing in response to the article, Optus, Telstra clash over broadband leadership claims (PC World Web site, www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index. php?id=1665107389). I just wanted to say that, while I do agree slightly with the statement...

Update frustration.(READERS' FORUM)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... For some years, I have had a love/hate relationship with Microsoft and Windows. "Love" because they set certain standards which used to mean I could easily share files with other users and for the most part, their "out of the box" software...

Sounds good.(READERS' FORUM)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... I recently read your Audio article in Australian PC World [June, 2005], and found it very informative. I use a program called i-Sound to record all sorts of audio, and find it comprehensive and easy to use. I've MP3'd all my audio cassettes and...

Pricey PVR.(READERS' FORUM)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... In your news item about Foxtel's new Personal Video Recorder, the IQ unit, it says: "Those of you already using or thinking of subscribing to the Foxtel Digital service now have the option of purchasing the Foxtel PDR (personal hard disk...

Missive of the month.(READERS' FORUM)
August 1, 2005... Congratulations to Paul Brodie! You are this month's winner of a year's subscription to Australian PC World magazine--that's 12 months of all the best PC news, reviews, tutorials and opinions from Australia's leading magazine for PC...

Fast times at Computex.(START UP: LATEST REVIEWS, INDUSTRY NEWS)
August 1, 2005... For the 25th year, Taiwan's mammoth Computex trade show has drawn to a close. This year's event will likely be remembered as the place where desktop dual-core processing got its first serious outing--Intel, AMD, and Taiwanese motherboard...

ATI joins dual-GPU game.(ATI Technologies Inc., general processor unit )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... ATI Technologies, demonstrating its upcoming CrossFire dual-GPU technology at Computex, claimed it offered better performance than the dual-GPU technology of rival NVIDIA. CrossFire allows two graphics cards to be wired together and run in...

BenQ demos Blu-ray prototype.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... BenQ gave a preview at Computex of what to expect from Blu-ray, demonstrating one of the few working Blu-ray Disc optical drive prototypes. Blu-ray Disc is one of two formats competing to replace DVD and become the optical disc media of...

G70 and CrossFire to push graphics boundaries.(SWEET SPOT)
August 1, 2005... Pricing for PC components remained steady this month, as the release of new processors and motherboard chipsets did little to affect the existing range of products listed in Sweet Spot. Our processor and motherboard chipset picks hardly...

Inspired by Apple.(new product from Tekram Systems)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then Apple executives walking around the Computex show should have felt pretty good--with a host of products taking their cues from the Mac maker. Looking much bike an iPod mini with the...

Micro-Star shows off 'household' robot.(Micro Star Software Inc. marketing)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Micro-Star, one of Taiwan's big four motherboard makers, displayed at Computex a two-legged robot that can perform, albeit slowly, certain Tai Chi and Kung Fu moves. It can also walk, stand on one leg, and kick a soccer ball--the E2R-H3...

The birth of an industrial design giant: ASUS W1 Series wins iF Gold Award for Design Excellence.(ASUS ADVERTORIAL)
August 1, 2005... Industrie Forum (iF), internationally renowned as one of the world's leading design institutions, hands out the prestigious iF Design Awards every year to products that achieved the highest standard in industrial design. The top honor of the...

An office in your pocket.(new product)(ASUS P505)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Taiwanese manufacturer ASUS unveiled a range of products at its country's own Computex trade show in Taipei, including the ASUS P505 mobile phone. Confirmed for launch in Australia towards the end of this year, the tri-band handset can be...

Fast-boot RAM system.(random access memory, Gigabyte iRam)(new product from Gigabyte Technology Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Gigabyte has stumbled upon a faster way to boot up Windows XP computers. Gigabyte's iRam is a PC add-in card with four DDR SDRAM slots that's designed to be used as a PC drive. Because the iRam uses DRAM rather than a hard disk to store...

RAM prices dropping.(random access memory)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... GEIL was the first brand name vendor that we noticed with 512MB DDR400 memory modules retailing under $100 and it has been selling its modules at this price for a few months now. However, it seems some of the other big-name players have...

Mac mini-inspired.(AOpen XC Cube mini)(new)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... AOpen also used Computex to unveil a small and quiet desktop Windows XP PC closely resembling Apple's Mac mini. Modelled on its XC Cube product line, the device will feature Intel's Pentium M processor which Intel is pushing for use in...

Media Center software alternative.(Cyberlink PowerCinema 4 )(new software from CyberLink Corp.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Multimedia software company Cyberlink unveiled a few upgrades to its range of applications at Computex, but the one that really caught our eye was a pre-release demonstration of the forthcoming PowerCinema 4. This new version of...

Yahoo! price comparison site.(SWEET SPOT)(Yahoo! Shopping)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Price comparison sites are a great to snag an online bargain and they're even better if they are moderated. The latest one to hit our shores for consumer electronics and computer goods is "Yahoo! Shopping". Still in its infancy, the site...

Fastest desktop CPU: Athlon 64 X2 4800+.(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... AMD's dual-core CPU for the consumer market has finally been released. The company's Athlon 64 X2 has been widely anticipated because, like its name suggests, it's like having two Athlon 64 CPUs in one package. Until recently, only...

Mainstream dual-core processor: Pentium D 820.(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... Intel released its first high-end (over $1700) dual-core processor back in April of this year--the Pentium Extreme Edition 840--but now the company is seeking to satisfy the mainstream market with its new Pentium D series of processors. ...

New Tablet PCs demand attention: Tecra M4, ThinkPad X41 Tablet.(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... Many of us have long been interested in the Tablet PC concept, but it has been hard to justify the added expense no matter how welcome the extra functionality could be. That said, Tablet PC sales have increased slowly and there's been some...

Free Experience Pack for Tablet PCs.(freeware download)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The Experience Pack for Tablet PC may not be reason enough to buy a Tablet PC, but the free download is definitely worth a look. The Experience Pack consists of half a dozen utilities and applets that are more about fun and frills than...

A hard drive in your palm: LifeDrive.(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... PalmOne's LifeDrive has put almost everything you'd want from a notebook--document editing, e-mail access, and plenty of storage--into a package not much larger than a typical early MP3 player. At its heart, the LifeDrive is a PalmOS 5.4...

Smallest 3-CCD camcorder, ever! Everio GZ-MC500.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... It's sexy and incredibly compact, it records to an internal hard drive, and it's the first with a 5Mp, 3-CCD (charge-coupled device) image sensor. Unfortunately, a few quirks mar the GZ-MC500's initially impressive list of features. Some...

Comprehensive digital media suite: Easy Media Creator 7.5 Supersonic.(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... Roxio's Easy Media Creator (EMC) 7.5 Supersonic is the result of years of acquisitions within the specialist media software industry. It pulls together tools such as VideoWave Photosuite, that Roxio inherited when it bought out MGI, and adds...

All-purpose sound card: Sound Blaster Audigy 4 Pro.(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... This new sound card from Creative Labs replaces the company's Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS as the flagship of the company's line-up. Released back in September 2003, the Audigy 2 ZS range now pretty much replaces the ageing Live! series as the...

DIY plans for the perfect home: FloorPlan3D Design Suite 9.(FIRST LOOKS: NEW PRODUCTS, HANDS-ON TESTS)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... FloorPlan3D Design Suite 9 is a powerful collection of tools that allows you to visualise the house of your dreams on your own PC. You can start from scratch, or choose and modify from one of over 1000 templates. One of FloorPlan3D's...

Video editing for occasional users: DVD MovieFactory 4.0.(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... DVD authoring software can be divided into two main camps: professional applications which can be difficult to use, but provide complete control; and those like DVD MovieFactory, where simplicity is the key. The program is available in two...

Spyware stoppers: renegade programs can slip onto your system in an instant--and they can be maddeningly difficult to banish. Our tests reveal the most powerful tools for fighting back.(CounterSpy 1.0, InterMute SpySubtract Pro 2.6, Internet Cleanup 4.0, McAfee AntiSpyware 1.0, Spyware Eliminator 3.5, Webroot Spy Sweeper 3.2, eTrust PestPatrol Anti-Spyware)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... Not long ago, Web- and e-mail-borne viruses were a computer user's worst enemy. Though viruses and worms still cause more damage in compromised or lost data, a newer menace, popularly known as spyware, steals users' productivity and peace of...

No more hack attacks: viruses are the least of your worries: hackers and spyware are by far the most virulent and cunning of all online security threats. PC World shows you how to declare war on the enemy.
August 1, 2005... Online threats are no longer restricted to bringing down your PC; cybercriminals are now tracking your every computing move and targeting Web sites, such as those of high street banks, where you log personal data. You may feel under constant...

Blown away: E3 expo 2005: better than being there! Want to see sensational graphics, immersive gameplay, the latest killer consoles and more? This month Stuart Clarke accessed all areas at the E3 expo--rubbing shoulders with Steven Spielberg and Tone Loc along the way--to deliver you the best from gaming's biggest show!(Column)
August 1, 2005... Every May since 1995, the global gaming industry has gathered in Los Angeles for the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3 as it is more commonly known. To be completely correct, E3 was held in Atlanta in 1997 and 1998, but that failed...

Screening near you.(BEST BUYS: TOP HARDWARE, REVIEWED AND RATED)
August 1, 2005... Each time we conduct an LCD monitor review we always end up unpacking and arranging them all on our test-benches front-to-back until they look like dominos. This is what we did this month with 10 current mainstream 19in models. While we didn't...

Sub-$1500.(PCs)(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 2005... 1 Pacstar Powerhouse PC 775 The Powerhouse PC 775 is one of two PCs in the Sub-$1500 chart that feature PCI Express (PCJe) chipsets. The system's Gigabyte GA-81915PLG motherboard features eight USB slots --but no FireWire. It has a...

$1500-$3500.(PCs)(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 2005... 1 [NEW] Octek XB828 Professional This PC is the first one to make the Best Buys using Intel's new dual-core Pentium D 820 CPU and 945 chipset. It's targeted squarely at the multimedia enthusiast and dedicated game player, with...

Over $3500.(PCs)(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 2005... 1 [NEW] lus Corporation Altera FX-57 Plus Corporation's stranglehold on the Over-$3500 chart gets stronger this month with its Altera FX-57 taking the number one position. Plus Corporation is always among the first PC vendors in the...

Sub-$2500.(NOTEBOOKS)(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 2005... 1 Pioneer DreamBook Slim 805 An original Centrino-branded model, core specifications include Intel's Pentium M processor running at 1.7GHz along with 512MB of DDR SDRAM, a 60GB Hitachi hard disk and a multi-format DVD writer drive. The...

$2500-$4000.(NOTEBOOKS)(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 2005... 1 Dell Inspiron 9300 This model included a 17in display with UXGA (1920x1200 pixel resolution) option and a 256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 6800 graphics controller supplying both VGA- and DVI-external monitor outputs. Also aided by the 2GHz...

19in LCD monitors.(BEST BUYS)(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 2005... If you're in the market for a new monitor, you should consider a 19in LCD. These can be bought for as little as $499 these days (only about $150 more than the cheapest 17in LCDs) and most have fast response times that allow you to play games on...

DMA dilemma: Windows 98.(use of the operating system, direct memory access)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Q According to Microsoft, Windows 98 enables Direct Memory Access (DMA) by default. But this doesn't seem to be the case on my system. When I try to enable DMA for my hard drive in Device Manager I get the warning: "Unsupported hardware alert:...

Help Me: Windows ME.(use of the operating system)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Q My computer is running Windows Me. After ScanDisk has been working away for a few minutes I receive the message: "ScanDisk has restarted 10 times because Windows or another program has been writing to this drive. Quitting some running...

Drag and stop: Windows XP.(use of the operating system)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Q I'm using Windows XP Service Pack 2, and drag and drop has stopped working, causing the loss of many photos. If I drag a file from one folder and drop it into another, the file becomes unusable. It cannot be opened by any application, moved,...

Eight steps to system safety.(TOP TIP)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... In life, sometimes you have to step off the pavement and cross the road, so remembering the golden rules of the information superhighway should stop you becoming a target for online hackers, spammers and other ne'er-do-wells. 1. If you are...

Where's wizard?(use of My Computer icon)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Q My computer has an integrated card reader. When I put a memory card into the slot, the Scanner and Camera Wizard doesn't appear to help me download photos. If I log in as another user it does, though. Can you help? --William Kyle A...

Restoration rescue.(use of Microsoft Windows XP)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Q Can I delete the Windows XP restore points I no longer need and retain the ones I want? Is there any limit to the number of restore points I can save? I keep losing restore points. Is this due to defragging or using Norton Ghost? ...

Corruptible.(managing the system error by following few ways)(use of Microsoftt Windows XP Home Edition)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Q MY PC uses Windows XP Home edition (SP2). I have recently started receiving an error: "Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WinNT\ System32\Config\System". Initially I was able to recover by selecting...

Canon fodder.(detection of file system errors after installing Canon Pixma iP3000)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Q I have just installed a Canon Pixma iP3000 printer. Now, whenever I turn on my PC, I receive a message: "Windows encountered an error accessing the system Registry. Windows will restart and repair the system Registry for you". It can take...

Hard a'port!(methods of testing the speed of universal serial bus)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Q I have just built a computer. The motherboard has eight USB ports that claim to be USB 2.0, but I suspect that two of them are running more slowly. How can I measure their speed? --Martin Mitchell A To test that USB ports are working...

Lost in space.(installation of Maxtor ATA 160GB Diamond Plus 9 with Windows XP Service Pack 1 operating system)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Q I recently purchased a Maxtor ATA 160GB Diamond Plus 9 drive and fitted it as a second hard disk, but the OS can only use the first 128GB of it. Maxtor recommends installing Windows XP Service Pack 1 (or newer) and the Maxtor Big Drive...

Just add wine.(compatibility of the operating systems)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Q Can Windows programs be installed on a Linux system? How can I tell if my current hardware is compatible with Linux? --Jason Ottens A Windows programs can be installed on Linux, but only with the aid of a Windows compatibility layer...

Swap OP.(method of moving the swap file to another drive )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Q I was reading that moving the swap file to another drive can improve performance. Is it possible to move it to a large flash drive, and what performance gain, if any, would result? How does this compare to just installing more RAM? ...

Tracking down the bad guys.(new service from VirusTotal)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... If something asks to access the Internet and you don't know what it is, playing it safe and denying permission is the right thing to do. The next thing, if you can locate the file on your hard disk, is to submit it to VirusTotal (www....

Processors: the component that has the most influence on your PC's performance is the processor. So why not think about upgrading it?(BACK TO BASICS)
August 1, 2005... In case you didn't already know, the central processing unit (or CPU) is the brains of the outfit. Regardless of what you use your PC for--whether it's burning CDs, playing games or editing photos--it's this processor that's doing most of the...

Who's spying now? This time it's personal. Bill Gates has plunged Microsoft into the fight against spyware--but the new windows antispyware beta has a few problems of its own.(WINDOWS)
August 1, 2005... A few years ago, if someone said your PC was equipped with spyware, you might have got a bit excited, thinking they meant the nifty gizmos that Q demonstrates for Bond--a tiny satellite surveillance camera, maybe, or a fingerprint scanner, or...

Quiet on set! Even an external microphone is no guarantee that your audio will be clean. Laurence Grayson turns his attention to post-production audio techniques.(DIGITAL VIDEO)(Column)
August 1, 2005... Even if you're recording in controlled studio conditions, there's a chance that your video project's audio track will pick up unwanted bits and pieces along the way. Some of these can't be removed in post-production (editing) without ruining...

Ubuntu Linux: free and fabulous: the Hoary Hedgehog release of Ubuntu Linux is here, and Matthew Newton likes what he sees.(Ubuntu Linux 5.04)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... I'm going to just come right out and say it: I absolutely adore Ubuntu Linux 5.04 (the "Hoary Hedgehog" release). I'm now running Ubuntu on both my laptop and my desktop PCs, and I don't think I've ever been such a happy Linux user. ...

To SQL and back: it can be intimidating, but don't worry about it. SQL is a remarkably easy way to set up a database search engine, particularly with PHP.(MySQL)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... Last month, I covered some very simple scripts or third-party applications that enable you to provide a search engine for your site. For anyone who's interested in setting up a database-driven site, however, the level of control that's provided...

Express yourself! Creating a podcast to get your views or music heard by the masses is easier than you may have thought. Danny Allen shows you how.(iPodder)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... Podcasting is a relatively new means of distributing and receiving radio shows online, usually in MP3 or WMA format. I still recommend accessing podcasts through the free and cross-platform iPodder software (http://ipodder.sourceforge.net) that...

Playing with fire: Windows Firewall can dramatically improve the security of a PC, but users who neglect their exceptions tab will find it can disrupt legitimate applications, too.(NETWORKING)
August 1, 2005... It's hard to imagine these days, but there was a time when we blithely surfed the Internet without firewalls, oblivious to all risk. Such protection was the sole preserve of paranoid corporate networks with deep pockets and precious secrets....

Stronghold 2.(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... PC At the conclusion of its slightly cockeyed introduction movie, Stronghold 2 gives you one piece of advice: "Build your castle well". And by castle, they pretty much mean "metropolis". Imagine a scaled down version of Sim City which...

You'll be rapt.(Roboraptor)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... Snapping at the heels of the already popular Robosapien comes Roboraptor: Scourge of small pets! (we added the last bit). Decked out in a similar style to its humanoid predecessor (see July 2004, page 152), Roboraptor comes with a bundle of new...

Pretty twisted.(Siemens SF65)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... The polar white Siemens SF65 mobile phone is as much a fashion accessory as it is a mobile phone. Once you get past the good looks, however, there's not much substance here. With a clamshell design, the dual-band SF65's screen section...

Domination.(BACKBYTES)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... PC It's good to see that there's still a place somewhere in the vast repertoire of games for a turn-based strategy (TBS) title, and Domination fills that space. Unlike most TBS games, though, Domination is packed to the hilt with...

Empire Earth 2.(BACKBYTES)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... PC The original Empire Earth had one definitive concept which sounded great on paper, and that was to have an RTS title where you could command a people through every era of human existence and beyond it into an assumed future. Empire...

Ahead of the style curve.(new product from STM)(Medium Curve)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... Lugging a laptop around in a normal backpack can be a right pain -and resorting to most specialised bags leaves you fitted out in boring business-black. Targeting portable computer users who appreciate a bit of geek chic, Australian-owned STM...

Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars.(BACKBYTES)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... PC There was a time in European history when war morphed into an extremely metrosexual affair, where looking smart with pointy hats and marching in perfectly straight lines seemed more important than the actual fighting. This is the period...

Buzz light ear.(Jabra BT250v)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... Although Bluetooth hands-free headsets may not provide the best in audio quality, they do away with the Gordian knot of wiring that has to be untangled every morning at the station. If you don't want to wear a headset all the time, though,...

Strictly for the nerds.(Leadtek X-eye)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... The idea of a "personal head-mounted display" isn't new--the Olympus EyeTrek FMD011F was among the first back in 1998--but the idea hasn't taken off. It's extremely unlikely that Leadtek's X-eye will change that. Designed like a pair of...

Something in the water.(use of Ann Summers Passion Pants)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... I don't know what you lot have been drinking, but there have been some very inappropriate happenings out in the webosphere of late. Take, for example, an unfortunate Cardiff (UK) lady who collapsed in the aisle of her local supermarket,...

Sex cells.(a case o theft of cellular phone by Ruxandra Gardian)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... In similar vein, The Register (www.theregister.ee.uk) recently disclosed the tale of light-fingered Romanian woman, Ruxandra Gardian, who, after stealing a restaurant customer's mobile phone, stashed it in the last place she expected anyone to...

Good vibrations.(BYTESBACK)
August 1, 2005... Which leads me inexorably onwards to www.vibelet.com, a site that sells the latest accessory for your mobile phone--Purring Kitty. Claiming to "unlock the hidden pleasures in your mobile phone", the Purring Kitty is Java-based software that...

A party in your pants.(BYTESBACK)
August 1, 2005... If Purring Kitty seems a tad too tame, then how about the Audi-Oh? The business end of this versatile device attaches to a pager-like battery pack that contains a microphone. This allows it to convert ambient noise into synchronised pulses,...

Perving on a PSP.(PlayStation Portable use for internet pornography business)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Bringing this sordid little tract to a fitting close, I also hear that Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP) is to benefit from portable porn, released on the UMD disc format. Playboy is following up on its "iBod" picture sets for the iPod Photo...